TO RESPOND to the government's call for transparency, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Northern Mindanao launched on Wednesday, August 31, a hotline center for public queries on labor and employment concerns.
Dubbed as "Pangutana mo sa 'Dole I-Text Mo", Raymundo Agravante, Dole-Northern Mindanao director said in an interview they came up with the plan to answer the needs of workers the soonest possible.
Dole is using twp network service providers to cater inquiries regionwide: For Globe users - 09771146526, and for Smart subscribers - 09282337806.
Agravante said the hotline services will provide immediate response to all workers "in crisis" and "emergency situations" requiring urgent assistance and relief from unsafe, unhealthy, and unjust working conditions of work.
Agravante said they will be prioritizing the needs and requests of victims of illegal recruitment and trafficking-in-persons, separated workers claiming unpaid wages and benefits, and workers engaged in temporary or atypical work arrangements not in accordance with existing labor laws and regulations.
It will also include the concerns of local and overseas workers claiming special and health insurance benefits with the jurisdiction of Dole agencies, workers inquiring about applicable wages and wage-related benefits such as minimum wages, overtime pay, holiday pay, among others, and workers with cases filed in Dole offices and the attached agencies unpaid wages and benefits.
"The hotline will be working 24/7 and we will make sure there should be somebody who will respond to our texters and callers and address the issues they will raise," Agravante said.
He said this is also a priority instruction of Labor Secretary Bello III in his Administrative Order which directs all Dole offices to create their own respective hotlines.
"Measures have already been lined up in the regional office to cater to such queries in handling attached agencies' concerns," he added.
